It’s September 22, 1928, Jack Pool’s 16th birthday. It's the Sabbath. In the synagogue that morning, he feels restless, stuck in a remote little whistle-stop town in upstate New York. But he doesn’t realize exactly how stuck he is until his little sister’s Gentile friend Daisy gets lost in the woods and he's accused of killing her.

Read about the real-life events The Blood Lie is based on in an interview with author Shirley Vernick from Massena's Daily Courier-Observer: New Novel on Massena's Bloody Past: "I remain optimistic that good things can come from the telling of the story...at least I hope positive things can come from a conversation about it."

For more resources about blood libels, visit the book's companion site: BloodLibel.org

Booklist

"Vernick’s novel is a scathing indictment of anti-Semitism…it is an important book that reminds us of the imperative need to remember lest we find ourselves repeating the horrors of the past."

- November 15, 2011

Lauren Myracle, author of Shine

"A powerful—and poignant—reminder that no person can live freely until all people can live freely."

Association of Jewish Libraries

"The evolution of how an anti-Semitic lie spread throughout this community is convincingly portrayed in this story...[and] the troubling issues that the book raises are sure to give readers a sense of the fragility of Jewish-Christian relations and the challenges posed by ignorance. Highly recommended for all libraries."